Magazine type safety razor



June 27, 1961 A. R. BRINGEWALD ,9

MAGAZINE TYPE SAFETY RAZOR Filed Jan. 29, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR AUGUST R. BRINGEWALD ATTORNEY June 27, 1961 A. R. BRINGEWALD MAGAZINE TYPE SAFETY RAZOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 29, 1957 INVENTOR AUGUST R. BRINGEWALD ATTORNEY June 27, 1961 A. R. BRINGEWALD 2,989,805

MAGAZINE TYPE SAFETY RAZOR Filed Jan. 29, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR AUGUST R, BRINGEWALD ATTORNEY June 27, 1961 A. BRINGEWALD MAGAZINE TYPE SAFETY RAZOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 29. 1957 INVENTOR AUGUST R. BRINGEWALD ATTORNEY Jilne 1961 A. R. BRINGEWALD MAGAZINE TYPE SAFETY RAZOR -'i1ed Jan. 29, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 k A qdzso INVENTOR AUGUST R. BRINGEWALD ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,989,805 MAGAZINE TYPE SAFETY RAZOR August R. Bringewald, Ingold Drive, R.F.D. 1, Huntington, 'N.Y. Filed Jan. 29, 1957, Ser. No. 636,947 16 Claims. (Cl. 30-40).

This invention relates primarily to safety razors and proposes a razor embodying two magazines, one for new blades and the other for used blades, and an intermediate shaving position in combination with means for receiving and conveying a new blade to the shaving position and for removing a blade from the shaving position and depositing it in the magazine for used blades.

The usual type of safety razor, in common use today, is required to be manually opened each time a fresh blade is to be inserted. When the razor is opened, the worn blade must be removed by hand and a fresh blade inserted, also by hand. Unless extreme caution is exercised, the users fingers may become out or scratched while manipulating the blades. Furthermore, the fresh blade may impinge against portions of the razor and become nicked, dulled or even split while being inserted.

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a safety razor which is adapted to automatically eject a worn or used blade and insert a fresh or new blade all without exposing the blades.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a concavely curved single-edged or double-edged razor blade which is adapted to be ejected or injected automatically.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a safety razor provided with disposable magazines both for the fresh and the worn blades. If desired both magazines may be combined into one unit.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a safety razor having automatic injection and ejection means for blades wherein the blades may be either of the single-edge or double-edge type.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a safety razor having automatic injection and ejection means for blades which is simple in construction, is provided with relatively few parts, and is easy to handle, is simple to operate, and which does not tend to become easily broken.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved safety razor, of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly efficient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a safety razor em bodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the head portion of the razor shown in FIG. 1, showing a fragmentary view of the handle portion.

FIG. 3 is a top elevational view of the razor head shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the head of the razor shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an exploded, perspective view of the magazine associated with the razor for housing and delivering fresh or new blades.

FIG. 7 is an exploded, perspective view of the drum and a blade carried thereby.

FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 are transverse sectional views respectively showing the operative or shaving, ejecting and feed- 2,989,805 Patented June 27, 1961 ing positions of the razor, the section of FIG. 9 being inwardly offset from the sections shown in FIGS. 8 and 10.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a modified form of the invention.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken on line 12-12 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a top plan view of the device of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 14-14 of FIG. 12.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the clamping bar employed in both forms of the invention.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, there is shown a razor, generally designated 10, comprising a head defined by a housing 12 which is mounted on a handle 14. The housing 12 includes a pair of inclined pockets 16 and 18 disposed on opposite sides of the handle 14 at the lower portion of the housing. The pockets 16 and 18 combine in forming the bottom wall of the housing 12, the inner surface whereof is curved to conform to the outer contour of the blade carrying drum 34. Thus the bottom portion of the housing 12 may be said to be semi-circular. To create the upper portion of the housing 12, guides or arms 20 are provided at the ends of the pocket 16 and similar guides or arms 22 are provided at the ends of the pocket 18. These guides 24 and 22 project upwardly from the lower portion of the housing 12 and curve inwardly thereby to dispose the extremities of one set of guides adjacent to, but spaced from, the extremities of the other set as at 24. Each arm or guide 20 and 22 is cut away on the inner edge of its end to produce a right-angular internal recess 24.

At each end of the housing 12 there is provided a circular end plate, as at 26 and 28, these plates being integral with the guides 20 and 22 and having their lower edges defining the upper sides of the pockets 16 and 18. The ends of the pockets are open, as is best shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings. From the foregoing it is manifest that the housing 12, consisting generally of the pockets 16 and 18 and connections between them, the sets of curved guides or arms 20 and 22 and the circular end plates 26 and 28, defines a circular, tubular passage in which to mount the blade-carrying drum 34.

Each plate 26 and 28 is provided with a central opening defined by hearing portions, shown at 30 and 32 in FIG. 5. A rotary drum 34 is positioned within the housing between the end plates 26 and 28 and is mounted for rotation therebetween by means of oppositely disposed spindles 36 and 38, one on each end of the drum. These spindles are received in bearings 30 and 32 on the end plates and extend through the plates, as best shown in FIG. 5. A handle 40 is connected to the projecting free end of the spindle 36, externally of the housing, while at the opposite end of the housing, a ratchet wheel 42 is mounted on the projecting free end of the spindle 38. A rod spring or pawl 44, shown in 'FIG. 1, is positioned on the external face of the plate 28, and coacts with the ratchet wheel to permit rotation of the drum in only one direction.

The carrying drum 34 consists of the circular end walls 48 and 50, the spindles 36 and 38 being respectively secured concentrically to and projecting from the outer faces of said walls, and the septa 46 and 46 interposed between and fixedly secured at their ends to the inner faces of said end walls. The septum 46 in width is substantially equal to the diameter of the end walls, while the septum 46 in width is substantially equal to the radius of the end walls and is disposed at right angles to the septum 46 whereby to form open segments 64 and 66. Above and parallel to the septum 46, a bridge member is disposed between the peripheries of the end Walls 48 and 50, the edges of which are respectively provided with recesses 52 and 54 in alignment with the ends of the bridge member 56. To accommodate strippers, as will be seen, the ends of the bridge member 56 adjacent the end walls 48 and 50 are provided with transverse indentations or grooves 58 and 60. Comb teeth 62 are provided on each side of the bridge member for the usual purpose of holding the hairs in place.

The bridge member 56 is provided with a convexlycurved upper surface, this surface being adapted to support a blade such as shown at 68 with the reduced ends 69 of the blade positioned in recases 52 and 54 (FIG. 7). The blade is held on the bridge member 56 by a clamping bar 70. This clamping bar 70 is concavoconvex in section, its concave inner face coacting with convex surface of the bridge member 56 in holding a blade 68 between the bridge member and bar, while its convex outer face is exposed. At its ends the bar 70 is provided with right-angularly disposed ears which overlie the end plates 26 and 28 of the housing 12 to which they are resiliently secured by rod springs 76. These rod springs 76 are attached to the end plates 26 and 28 by being seated in pairs of orificed lugs 82 and 84 forming a part of the plates and to the ears 72 and 74 by extending through sleeves 78 and 80 at the extremitim of such ears.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the housing 12, the clamping bar 70, the pockets 16 and 18 together with the magazines or containers therein, and the handle 14 may be considered a basic, stationary structure and that the drum 34 and bridge member 56 may be rotated in one direction (clockwise in FIGS. 4, 8, 9 and 10) by the handle or crank 40 relative to the housing. In this manner the bridge member 56 may be successively positioned to coact with the pocket 16, the clamping bar 70 and the pocket 18.

The pockets 16 and 18 are open at each end, as shown, and are adapted to hold removable magazines. The pocket 16 is the feed or blade supply pocket and the pocket 18 is for the reception of worn or used blades, the blades being fed from the magazine in pocket 16 and ejected into the magazine in pocket 18. Each pocket is provided with a spring of any suitable type, e.g. a leaf spring at its bottom to bear against the bottom of the magazine and urge it upwardly, the spring in pocket 16 being shown at 86 and the spring in pocket 18 being shown at 88. A pair of spring fingers 90 and 91 are anchored to the housing and are so positioned, one at each end of the pocket 18, that their free ends operate in the indentations or grooves 58 and 60 of the bridge member 56 as and when it approaches alignment with pocket 18 during the rotation of the drum 34. By this arrangement the fingers 90 and 91 act as strippers to remove a blade 68 from the bridge member and transfer it to the pocket 18 (FIGS. and 9).

The magazines inserted into each pocket 16 and 18 are similar and may be interchangeable. The feed or supply magazine is shown at 92 and the ejection magazine is shown at 94. Since the description of one magazine serves as a description of the other, the magazine 92 is described as best illustrated in FIG. 6. The magazine 92, as there shown, comprises a receptacle 96 of elongated, generally shallow construction with longitudinal side walls 98 and end walls 100. Grooves 102 extend along each of the side walls 98 and are adapted to slidably receive inwardly-turned flanges 104 on skirts 106 depending from a cover member 108. An upwardly-extending flange 110 is provided on one end of the cover member. The bottom wall of the receptacle is provided with any suitable spring such as a leaf spring 112 connected at its cent-2r to the bottom wall by a rivet 114.

As best shown in FIG. 6, steps 116 are provided within the receptacle 96 on each side of the spring 112 and at the bottom of the side wall 98 thereof. An interior shoulder 118 is established in each corner of the receptacle 96 and extends upwardly from the adjacent end of the step 116. Since the blades 68 have reduced ends 69 created by the corner notches 68, these reduced ends are disposed between the shoulders 118 when the corner notches 68 embrace said shoulders. Thus, the steps 116 and shoulders 1'18 locate a stack of blades 68 within the receptacle 96 and combine to protect the cutting edges thereof. Both the receptacle 96 and the blades 68 are concavely curved in agreement, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 7, and a stack of blades so formed rests on the spring 112 with their convex surfaces in contact with the spring. The spring 112 always tends to eject the blades 68 successively from the receptacle 96 when the bridge member 56 aligns with the pocket 16. The blades shown are of the double-edged type; however, singleedged blades may be used, if desired.

When it is desired to change the blade in the razor, it is merely necessary to turn the handle 40 clockwise. This rotates the drum 34 from the position shown in FIG. 8 where the bridge 56 and clamping bar 70 register to that shown in FIG. 9. During this stage of the rotation, the clamping bar 70 rides on the edges of the end walls 48 and 50 of the drum. As the bridge 56 moves into the position shown in FIG. 9, the fingers or strippers and 91 enter into the indentations or grooves 58 and 60 on the bridge member, underneath the ends of the blade 68. As the drum continues to rotate toward the position shown in FIG. 10, the fingers 90 and 91 strip the blade 68 from the bridge member and permit it to fall into the magazine 94. Then as the drum continues to rotate into the position shown in FIG. 10, the uppermost blade 68 is pressed against the bridge member 56 and the ends 69 are urged into the recesses 52 and 54 in the edges of the end walls 48 and 50 of the drum by the spring 112 (best seen in FIGS. 5 and 7). The action of the spring 112 on the stack of blades 68 in the receptacle 96 maintains the uppermost blade in flush contact with the bridge 56 until it passes out of registration with the pocket 16. The guides 22 retain the blade in position on the bridge member 56 during the further rotation of the drum 34 until the bridge member, with the blade thereon, comes into the position of FIG. 8 where it aligns with the clamping bar 70. The clamping bar 70 then seats on the blade to clamp it in place within the openings or recesses 24 between the sets of guides 20 and 22.

When the fresh blades in a magazine 92 are exhausted, the magazine is pulled out through the end opening of the pocket 16 and a new magazine is inserted merely by placing the magazine, with the cover member 108 thereon, against the end opening of the pocket with the flange of the cover member against the side plate 26 or 28 of the housing. The magazine is then pushed in and, as it moves in, the side plate of the housing holds back the cover member until the magazine is entirely inserted, at which time the cover member falls away. The magazine 94 is similarly inserted and removed. When the magazine 92 is empty and is removed from the pocket 16, it may be inserted into pocket 18 Where it becomes magazine 94.

A modified form of the invention is shown in FIGS. 11 to 14. The device of these figures is similar to that described above in that it comprises a housing, generally designated 200, having circular side plates 202 and 204 in which are journaled spindles 206 and 208 on a rotary drum 210. A handle 212 is provided on spindle 208, outside the housing, and a ratchet 214 is provided on spindle 206. A rod spring 216 is provided on the external face of plate 202 to coact with ratchet 214 to permit movement of the drum in only one direction. A clamping bar 217, similar to bar 70, is resiliently pressed aaginst the housing where it is adapted to clamp a razor blade 220 on a bridge member 222 on the drum 210. The clamping bar is held by rod springs 224 on the side plates.

'Ihe-above-described parts are all substantially similar to the corresponding parts in the first-described form of the invention. However, this form difiers from the first form in that the ejection parts are omitted. Only one pocket isprovided, as at 226; this being a feed or supply pocket similar in function to pocket 16. It includes the same type of spring on the bottom wall, as shown at 228, and is adapted toreceive a magazine 230 similar to that shown at' 92. The magazine 230'is also provided with a spring 232 tourge the blades outwardly of the magazine.

Another ditference is that guides are provided at only oneportion of the housing, as indicated at 234. The opposite side of the housing does not have such guides. Therefore, during rotation of the drum clockwise, the blade 220,when it is moved with bridge member 222 to theposition 236, as indicated in FIG. 14, is in a position to fall out or to be removed.

'As the drum contitnues to rotate, a blade is pressed onto the bridge member 222 from the magazine 230. With continued clockwise rotation, the bridge member and new blade is carried around to the upper position shown in FIG. 14, the blade being maintained on the bridge member during this stage of the'rotation by the guides 234.

This latter form of the invention is simpler and less expensive than the first form; however, it requires handling of the worn blades during ejection, with the consequent dangers of injury to the fingers.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative'rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

Having-thus set forth anddisclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a razorthe. combination with a head having a circular passage therein, a pair of pockets in communication with said passage and clamping bar carried by said head in opposition to said pockets, of a blade-carrying drum, including a blade-supporting bridge member, mounted for rotation in said passage to successively register said bridge member with one pocket to receive a blade, position it to coact with the clamping bar for shaving and with the other pocket'to discharge the used blade during rotation of the drum, and means operative between the head and the drum to restrict rotation of the latter to one direction.

.2. In a razor the combination with a head having a circular passage therein and a pair of independentpockets each in direct communication with said passage, of a drum mounted in said passage, a blade-supporting member carried by said drum, and means for rotating said drum in one direction within the head to successively register said blade-supporting member with said pockets.

3. In a razor the combination with a head having a circular passage therein and a stationary pocket in direct communication with said passage, of means for housing and retaining a number of blades in said pocket, a drum mounted in said passage including a blade-supporting member, and means for rotating said drum to position said supporting member either in registration with said pocket or in opposition thereto.

4. In a razor the combination with a hollow head embodying a pair of adjacent fixed pockets each in communication with the interior of the head and an opening opposite to said pockets for establishing the position of a blade for shaving, of a blade-supporting member mounted for movement in said head, and means for moving said supporting member within the head for successive cooperation with one pocket, the aforesaid shaving position and the other pocket in that order.

5. in a razor the combination with a hollow head embodying a pair of parallel independent pockets each communicating with the interior of the head, one of said pockets being adapted to contain and individually deliver a supply of blades and the other pocket being adapted to receive and house used blades and an opening in the head .6 and a clamping bar carried by the head in-assoeiation with said opening toestablish a-shaving-position opposed to said pockets, of a blade-supporting'membermounted for movement within the head, and means for moving said' supportingmember for cooperation first with the supply pocket to receive a blade, secondwiththeshaving position for use of suchblade, third with the otherpocket to discharge the used blade and then repeat the cycle.

6. In a razor the combination with a hollow head embodying a pocketin communication with theinterior of said head and adapted to house and'individually deliver a supply of blades and a blade-engaging-means disposed on said head in opposition-tosaid pocket, of a blade-supporting means mounted for rotation in saidhead tor cooperation witheitherthe pocket to'recei ve a'blade orwith said blade-engaging means for shaving.

7. In a razor the combination with a housing comprising a pair of parallel adjoining pockets open along their' inner-sides and a set of guide arms at theouter edge of eachpooket, said sets of arms curving toward each other and forming continuations of and combining with the outer walls of the pockets to define a hollow head, the extremities of said arms on one side 'of the head being spaced from the extremities of the arms on the other side of-the head, of a blade-olampingbar disposed in the space between the extremitiesof said arms and resiliently attached at its ends to said housing, a drum mounted for rotationwithin said housing consisting of a pair of parallel end walls and a. blade-supporting member'interposed between andsecured to the edges of said walls, and means for rotating said drum in one direction to dispose its bladesupporting member for successisve cooperation with one pocket, the clamping bar and the other pocket in that order.

'8. In a razor the combination with a housing comprising a pair of parallel adjoining pockets open along their inner sides and a set of guide arms at the outer edge of each pocket, said sets of arms curving toward each other and forming continuations of and combining with the outer Walls of the pockets to define a hollow head, the extremities of said arms on one side of the head being spaced from the extremities of the arms on the other side of the head, of a blade-clamping bar disposed in the'space between the extremities of said arms and resiliently attached at its ends to said housing, a drum mounted for rotation within said housing consisting of a pair of parallel end walls and a blade-supporting member interposed between and secured to the edges of said walls, said end walls having recesses in the edges thereof aligned with the ends of the supporting member, and means for rotating the drum in one direction within the head to dispose its blade-supporting member for cooperation first with one pocket to receive a blade with its ends disposed in said recesses, then with the clamping bar, and finally with the other pocket to discharge the blade into said pocket.

9. In a razor the combination with a housing comprising a pair of parallel adjoining pockets open along their inner sides and a set of guide arms at the outer edge of each pocket, said sets of arms curving toward each other and forming continuations of and combining with the outer walls of the pockets to define a hollow head, the extremities of said arms on one side of the head being spaced from the extremities of the arms on the other side of the head, of a blade-clamping bar disposed in the space between the extremities of said arms and resiliently attached at its ends to said housing, a drum mounted for rotation within said housing consisting of a pair of parallel end walls and a blade-supporting member interposed between and secured to the edges of said walls, said end walls having recesses in the edges thereof in alignment with the ends of the supporting member and said supporting member having transverse grooves adjoining its ends, means for rotating the drum in one direction to dispose the supporting member successively to receive a blade from one pocket with its ends engaged in said recesses to coact with the clamping bar to engage such blade between the supporting and clamping members for shaving, and spring fingers secured in and to the housing adjacent the other pocket to enter the grooves of the supporting member and strip the blade from the supporting member and transfer it to said other pocket.

10. A safety razor comprising in combination a partially hollow head, a handle secured to said head, a clamping bar secured at its ends to said head diametrically opposed to the handle, a pocket on each side of the handle, said pockets communicating with the interior of the head, and a drum mounted for rotation within said head and adapted to receive a blade from one pocket, dispose it in cooperation with the clamping bar and deposit it in the other pocket successively as the drum rotates.

11. A razor comprising in combination a handle, a hollow head mounted on said handle and defined by a pair of pockets one on each side of the handle and arcuate guides projecting from the outer edges of the pockets, a clamping bar resiliently secured at its ends to the head and disposed between the spaced extremities of said guides, a drum mounted for rotation in one direction in the area defined by the pockets and guides, and a blade-supporting member carried by said drum.

12. A razor comprising in combination a handle, a hollow head mounted on said handle defined by a pair of pockets one on each side of the handle and a pair of arcuate guides attached to and projecting from the outer edge of each pocket, the extremities of the guides on one pocket being spaced from the extremities of the guides on the other pocket, at least one of the pockets housing a magazine adapted to contain a supply of blades and eject them individually and successively from the pocket, a drum mounted for rotation in the area defined by the pockets and guides, a clamping bar secured at its ends to the head and disposed between the spaced extremities of the guides, and a blade-supporting member carried by the drum adapted to receive and support a blade during the rotation of the drum for the successive cooperation thereof with the supply pocket, the clamping bar and the other pocket.

13. In a razor the combination with a hollow head, of a pair of magazines communicating with the interior of the head, one of said magazines containing a supply of blades, of a blade-engaging member carried by the head in opposition to the magazines, a blade-supporting member within the head, and means for moving said supporting member for cooperation with the pockets and the engaging member.

14. In a razor the combination with a hollow head, of a pair of magazines communicating with the interior of the head, one of said magazines containing a supply of blades, of a blade-engaging member carried by the head in opposition to the magazines, a blade-supporting member within the head, and means for moving the bladesupporting member to a position to receive a blade from said supply and then move it to cooperate with the engaging member for use.

15. In a razor the combination with a hollow head, of a pair of magazines communicating with the interior of the head, one of said magazines containing a supply of blades, of a blade engaging member carried by the head in opposition to the magazines, a blade-supporting member within the head, and means for moving the bladesupporting member to a position to receive a blade from said supply and then move it to cooperate with the engaging member for use and for finally transferring the blade after use to the other pocket.

16. In a razor the combination with a hollow head, of a magazine communicating with the interior of the head and adapted to contain a supply of blades, of a bladeengaging member carried by the head in opposition to the pocket, a blade-supporting member disposed within the head, and means for moving the supporting member to receive a blade from the magazine and thereafter move it and the supported blade to the position where they cooperate with the blade-engaging member to secure the blade between the engaging member and the supporting member while in use.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,007,847 Carlson Nov. 7, 1911 1,538,850 Ginsberg May 19, 1925 1,655,437 Schick Jan. 10, 1928 1,823,708 Straus Sept. 15, 1931 2,113,772 Rothschild et a1 Apr. 12, 1938 2,492,293 Jones Dec. 27, 1949 2,576,588 Gabriel Nov. 27, 1951 2,576,589 Gabriel Nov. 27, 1951 2,624,109 Cardenas Jan. 6, 1953 2,636,263 Fennelly Apr. 28, 1953 

